Alwar, Dec. 28 -- The Congress on Saturday staged a public awareness march in Alwar to oppose what it termed as attempts by the BJP governments at the Centre and in Rajasthan to destroy the Aravalli mountain range. The march began from the Aravalli hills at Kati Ghati and concluded at the mini secretariat, with thousands of Congress workers and local residents participating. The jan jagran yatra was led by state Congress president Govind Singh Dotasra and Leader of Opposition Tikaram Jully, along with senior party leaders and workers from Alwar and neighbouring districts. Addressing the gathering, Jully said workers and citizens from three districts had joined to protect the Aravallis. Jully alleged that the BJP was bent on destroying the Aravallis, thereby endangering the future of the country's youth. He said the public had elected BJP leaders with hope, but instead they were "selling people's lives into the hands of powerful interests". Warning of long-term consequences, Jully said if the Aravallis are not saved now, future generations over the next 50 to 100 years will not be able to forgive the present leadership. He also linked the issue to rising pollution and climate challenges, alleging a conspiracy to wipe out the Aravallis even as traffic-related pollution continues to increase. Jully claimed that while influential people could afford to leave the country, ordinary citizens would be forced to bear the consequences. Dotasra launched a sharp attack on the BJP, describing the Aravallis as the "lifeline" of the region. He said the mountain range protects people and livestock from extreme temperatures and storms, helps conserve water and plays a crucial role in controlling pollution. "The Aravallis are our life and climate shield," Dotasra said. Dotasra accused the "double-engine government" of the Centre and the state of conspiring to hand over the Aravallis to illegal mining mafias. He alleged that immediately after the Supreme Court ruling, tenders and work orders were issued in haste, indicating prior planning. He also targeted Union minister Bhupender Yadav, alleging collusion with mining interests on issues related to the Aravallis and district reorganisation. Claiming growing public anger, Dotasra said people across Rajasthan have risen to defend the Aravallis, asserting that they will not allow their destruction. He further accused the BJP of failing to showcase its own achievements despite being in power for over a decade at the Centre and two years in Rajasthan, alleging that corruption has increased manifold and that no work is being cleared without bribes in the state. The Congress leaders said the Alwar yatra was part of a broader statewide movement to mobilise public opinion and pressure governments to take concrete steps to protect the Aravalli range, which they described as vital for Rajasthan's environmental and ecological balance. Commenting on the issue, BJP spokesperson Ram Lal Sharma said the Aravalli issue was merely a pretext and that the Congress was staging protests as part of an internal power struggle. He said a rally was taken out by Sachin Pilot in Jaipur a day earlier, followed by similar programmes by Leader of Opposition Tikaram Jully and PCC chief Govind Singh Dotasra in Alwar. Sharma asserted that the new definition of the Aravallis would reduce the scope of mining leases and claimed that the Government of India has already clarified that no new mining leases will be issued. "There is no issue left to protest on," he said....